US SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM DIES FOLLOWING SUDDEN ILLNESS

US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has died following a brief and sudden illness, according to a statement released by his office. Graham died on Saturday evening. His family requested privacy and asked for prayers during the period following his death. There were no known health concerns prior to his recent travel.

Graham represented South Carolina in the Senate, having been elected in 2002. He served as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was described by President Donald Trump in a social media post as a "true American Patriot". Graham was a prominent voice on foreign policy matters and a strong advocate for continued US support for Ukraine. In 2023, he told the BBC that weakness in Ukraine would result in losses elsewhere, stating: "To be weak in Ukraine means that you lose in Taiwan."

Graham had recently returned from Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. During that visit, he was working on a Russia sanctions bill intended to provide "tools to President Trump to end this war", according to his own account. Over his political career, Graham initially clashed with Trump but later became one of his most consistent supporters, citing Trump's record on border policy, military actions and judicial appointments as reasons for his backing.